LEC Winter Split Grand Finals: G2 Esports vs Karmine Corp Preview and Predictions

The LEC Winter Split will reach its grand conclusion when G2 Esports and Karmine Corp take the stage for the tournament’s Grand Finals.

This Sunday, March 2nd, G2’s hegemony in the LEC will be put to the test when the young Karmine Corp squad load up to the rift to take on the European giants and decide which team will walk away the champions and head towards First Stand.

G2 level up at the right time

G2’s control over the LEC looked to be standing on shaky ground to begin the season. In fact, it was precisely Karmine Corp who took down G2 during the team’s very first game of the LEC Winter Split with the new roster.

Before their loss to KC on Day 1, G2 had never lost an opening game at the LEC before. Naturally, questions about the fall of the G2 empire quicky began to rise following the team’s struggles early in the season.

G2 put those doubts to rest by claiming the last three games of the Regular Season in dominant fashion. From then on, the LEC Winter Playoffs have been nothing but the G2 show as the team has now comfortably won their last seven matches in a row.

G2 have been running rampant in the LEC Winter Split. (Credit: Strafe)

Karmine Corp in search of revenge

KC and G2 met during the Upper Bracket Finals of the Winter Split less than a week before the Grand Finals take place. During the bout, G2 ran over KC in a far more dominant fashion that the match’s 3-1 scoreline would suggest. Having been humiliated after putting up such good performances during the Regular Season, KC will be eager to prove they’re worth more than their last series against G2 suggests.

With Martin "Yike" Sundelin anxious to show G2 that the team made a mistake in letting him go during the latest offseason, Karmine Corp has no shortage of reasons to want to put the G2 beast down once and for all.

After winning 7 LEC titles with G2, Yike will need to be locked in to take down his former team in the finals. (Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games)

In a rookie, out a champion

It seems ludicrous to think that both Rudy "SkewMond" Semaan and Caliste "Caliste" Henry-Hennebert are playing their very first LEC season.

In the case of Caliste, the French ADC came into the Winter Split and immediately looked like one of the most confident players in the league. With superior mechanics and his unrivaled ability to take space for his team, Caliste’s addition to the squad has been pivotal in KC making it all the way to the LEC Grand Finals for the first time in its history.

Meanwhile, SkewMond’s rise under the leadership of some of the most decorated veterans in the league in Rasmus "Caps" Winther and Sergen "BrokenBlade" Çelik has been inspirational to watch. The French jungler has not stopped improving since the start of the season as he looks more and more in sync with the rest of G2 every time he loads up to the rift.

Whichever way the Finals end up going in the end, one LEC rookie will end up being crowned Winter Champions on their first split in the league. Nice job, France.

One of SkewMond and Caliste will go from rookie to champion when the Grand Finals draw to a close. (Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games)

Final predictions: The Kings stand tall

Karmine Corp will come into these finals looking like the hungrier team, that much should be true. Despite KC's drive, however, G2 seem to have elevated their game to new heights through the course of the playoffs, and no team in the LEC truly look capable of matching them blow for blow.

Against Fnatic in the Lower Bracket Finals, KC's inexperience shone through as the team stood on the brink of a reverse sweep after sitting comfortable in the driver's seat for most of the match. Though the team was able to take down Fnatic in the end, these same mistakes simply cannot be made against a G2 squad that grows relentless at the sight of blood.

Karmine Corp does not look to have made enough progress to suggest that the result of their battle against G2 will be any different than the last time the two teams met. G2's uncontrollable urge to take one too many liberties on the rift might cost the team a game in these Grand Finals, but we expect the Kings of Europe to remain comfortably seated upon the throne of the LEC when all is said and done.

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Featured image source: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games

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